The present invention relates to stitching machines and more specifically to status and diagnostic programs for use with computerized embroidery machines.
Present day embroidering is commonly done using computerized embroidering machines, which are utilized in stitching patterns, such as letters that spell out words and/or designs on a variety of objects including t-shirts, caps and other cloth materials. These machines provide several advantages, including speed and repeatability, which are useful in both high volume and custom embroidering settings. These machines can have several embroidery heads and are capable of embroidering in several different colors, which are changed and trimmed automatically. The machines traditionally have a rack which is moved beneath the embroidery heads during stitching to create a pattern on the fabric being embroidered. A computerized embroidery machine might experience an electrical malfunction such as a computer controller error, or a mechanical malfunction such as an obstruction which can prevent a part from moving properly.
In order to troubleshoot a malfunction according to prior art procedures, a technician has to inspect the embroidery machine, determine the cause of the malfunction, and then correct the problem. Given the mechanical and electronic complexity of these machines, such procedures can take a significant amount of time, which can create a large expense due to the cost of having the technician service the machine and the loss of productivity while the machine is not in operation. Additionally, the technician is often not on the customer site, such that if there is a malfunction in the machine, the customer will have to wait for the technician to arrive before the problem can be fixed, adding to the loss of productivity of the machine.
Accordingly, there is a need for automatic embroidery machine diagnostics which would allow a technician to perform one or more tests and receive error or status codes from the machine, thus narrowing down the possible root cause of the problem and allowing the repair or other solution to be accomplished in less time.
The present invention provides largely automatic procedures for determining component status and conducting diagnostics on a computerized embroidery machine. It should be appreciated, however, that these features can be implemented or associated with stitching machines other than embroidery machines, such as computerized sewing machines.
To perform these functions, a software program which performs several automated steps to verify operability of various components within a computerized embroidery machine and generate status or error messages is provided. Consequently, the present invention addresses the noted deficiencies of manually troubleshooting a stitching machine, i.e., the large amount of time manual troubleshooting can consume and the associated down-time of the stitching machine.
The status and diagnostic program of the present invention also addresses the noted issues by generating specific status or error messages, which may help narrow the potential source of the problem and thus reduce the amount of time needed to find and correct the problem. For example, if the needle is not moving up and down properly due to an obstruction, one embodiment of the present invention will generate an error message to notify a technician that the needle motor is binding, thus immediately focusing attention on that motor.
The present invention also provides control panel software which displays specific information regarding the status of various components and allows for control of some individual components. This control panel software may thus further reduce the amount of time and effort needed to resolve a problem by conveying detailed information on these specific components.
Further, in one embodiment, the status and diagnostic and the control panel software may be operated remotely, i.e. the stitching machine being located at one site and the diagnostic testing being controlled at a central site which is remote from the site of the embroidery machine. The remote communications can be accomplished through the Internet or one or more other communications network, such as a computer/modem hook-up between each site. This remote capability may further reduce the amount of time required to diagnose and correct a problem associated with the stitching machine.
Additional advantages of the present invention can be readily understood from the following description, particularly when taken together with the accompanying drawings.